ere were already signs of the approach of dawn; the
Dervish camp was near; the Sirdar and his Staff began to look anxious.
He sent many messages to the leading battalions to hurry; and the
soldiers, although now very weary, ran and scrambled through the
difficult passage like sheep crowding through a gate. By four o'clock
the leading brigade had cleared the obstacle, and the most critical
moment seemed to have passed.

Suddenly, a mile to the southward, rose the sound of the beating of
drums. Everyone held his breath. The Dervishes were prepared. Perhaps
they would attack the column before it could deploy. Then the sound
died away, and but for the clatter of the marching columns all was again
silent. It was no alarm, but only the call to the morning prayer; and
the Dervishes, still ignorant that their enemies approached and that
swift destruction was upon them, trooped from their huts to obey the
pious summons.

The great mass of Firket mountain, still dark in the half-light, now
rose up on the left of the line of march. Between it and the river
stretched a narrow strip of scrub-covered ground; and here, though
obstructed by the long grass, bushes, palm-trees, and holes, the leading
brigade was ordered to deploy. There was, however, as yet only room for
the Xth Soudanese to form line, and the 3rd and 4th Egyptians contented
themselves with widening to column of companies--the 3rd in rear of the
right of the Xth, the 4th in rear of the centre. The force now began
to emerge from the narrow space between the hills and the river, and
debouch into open country. As the space widened No. 1 field battery came
into line on the left, and No. 2 On the right of the Xth Soudanese. A
swell of ground hid Firket village, though it was known to be within
a mile, and it was now daylight. Still there was no sign that the
Dervishes were prepared. It seemed scarcely possible to believe that the
advance had not yet been discovered. The silence seemed to forbode some
unexpected attack. The leading brigade and guns halted for a few minutes
to allow MacDonald to form his battalions from 'fours' into column of
companies. Then at five o'clock the advance was resumed, and at this
moment from the shoulder of Firket mountain there rang out a solitary
shot. The Dervish outposts had at last learned their danger. Several
other shots followed in quick succession, and were answered by a volley
from the Xth, and then from far away to the south-east came